


Under Ice

by sheiruki



Category: Elder Scrolls Online
Genre: Drowning, Gen, OC Focused Story, Purple Prose, Temporary Character Death, character backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:14:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22319221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheiruki/pseuds/sheiruki
Summary: A Covenant attack on Skyrim goes horribly wrong for lieutenant Licette Vantieve.
Kudos: 2





	Under Ice

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out way more purple than I had hoped, but sometimes this bored English undergraduate wants to play with language.
> 
> This is also the first time I recommend checking out the song the title is based on (Kate Bush - Under Ice) because it, along with certain lore, served as a direct inspiration for this story.

One step, then another, sinking deeper into the snow.

Licette did not know how long she had been walking; she had lost sight of her battalion long ago.Icy wind swept across the frozen lake, piercing her eyes and jabbing at her skin. What little vision the wind left her was taken by the snow. She was walking through white curtains, their frigid fabric enveloping her until she lost all sense of direction.

_Suicide_ , she thought, cursing the madman who had come up with this brilliant idea. _Sending Covenant troops to Skyrim in the midst of winter? Straight up suicide._

The cold was creeping up on her through the thick woolen padding of her armour, slowly seeping through the meshes,ready to sink its teeth into her flesh. Just where were her soldiers? 

Another step. And anoth- Her leg was stuck.

She tried freeing herself, but to no avail; the snow held her firmly in its icy grasp. 

From below echoed a deep rumble, a threatening roar spreading through the lake, closing in on her like a predator on its prey.

_Damn, the ice should have been strong enough._

Licette grew frantic. She pulled and pulled, and pulled until she was sure she would end up ripping off her own leg. Still, it did not budge. Her heartbeat was thundering in her ears. She had to get away, and fast.

Once again she tried freeing herself from certain death. Once again to no avail. Defeated, she closed her eyes and thought of her family back in Daggerfall. Oh, how proud her parents had been when she was promoted to lieutenant. 

_Ma, Pa, I'm sorry. I won't be coming home again._

The ice under her gave way. Licette screamed, but the sound was quickly suffocated by howling wind and drowned by the freezing water entering her lungs. She struggled, legs floundering, arms thrashing against the water's surface until the skin of her hands broke. The thick, wet layers of her armour were dragging her down and soon, Licette lost her last bit of strength and sank into the depths.

A coldness embraced her, colder than the snow, colder than the water - a coldness that was all consuming. Final. Death was a tender lover as it held her in its arms, kissing her neck and turning her blood into ice. Her vision faded to black, the cold disappeared and all worldly worries along with it. 

_Tired. So tired…_

And so she was floating, the water carrying her along with its flow, rocking her like her mother had when she was just a baby. Eternities passed but eventually, Licette opened her eyes. Through the ice above she could see a dark spot. She placed her hands against the frozen surface as if to capture that enigmatic shadow. A boot, perhaps? Her soldiers?

The thought should have filled her with relief, even joy, but to her horror it filled her with something else entirely:

Hunger.


End file.
